Resident Evil, better known as "Biohazard" in Japan, is one of my favorite video game franchises of all time. The first game of the series, released in 1996, was the title that convinced me to buy a Sony Playstation - and I was intrigued by its plot because the setting was in an isolated mansion and you had to battle your way through hordes of monstrous zombies and other biological monstrosities created in a secret laboratory underneath the premises.Since then I was hooked, and have been a loyal follower of the mainline series that started the genre of "Survival Horror" - until series director Shinji Mikami took things in a different direction in 2004 with the critically acclaimed "Resident Evil 4". That game was great and gave us a different kind of biological mystery in that universe - but it also started the "Survival Action" era of sequels that would be radically different from past RE games, with Resident Evil 6 serving as the entry that saw the series "completely lose its identity" until 2017's Resident Evil 7 brought things back to Survival Horror.
Fast forward to today's gaming generation, and we get a brand new Resident Evil game in the third installment of the remake trilogy - the "Resident Evil 3 Remake". Last year saw a triumphant return to old school with the "Resident Evil 2 Remake" - a perfect blend of the "Over-The-Shoulder" style action gameplay of RE4, the tension, inventory management, and puzzle-solving of the original RE games, and the power and amazing graphics of the "RE Engine" that was first used in RE7. What we got was a 2019 reimagining of the Raccoon City Outbreak adventure and new versions of Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield as they tried to survive and escape from the zombies and biological experiments that plagued the city. That game exceeded expectations and was a critical comeback for the series - but how does RE3 fair as an entry that follows over a year after this hit? Well depending on your preferences and stance as a gamer and Resident Evil fan, that answer may vary and may very well define your experience with the game.
As a long time fan and having played the original RE3 back in 1999, it was a no brainer for me to pick up the game - and I got it physically and digitally as soon as Pre-Orders opened. Thanks to my digital purchase of the Deluxe Edition, I got the game on Day 1 (April 3) and finished it the next day. It's relatively fast paced and I'll discuss it in detail below. Due to the trying times however, my Collector's Edition of RE3 with the Jill Statue will have to wait until things get back to normal. For now, here's my review... And SPOILERS will obviously be discussed on this review, so be warned and read on if you need some opinions coming from an RE guy.
"Resident Evil 3" puts players once again in control of Jill Valentine - one of the two playable protagonists from the original Resident Evil (and its Remake) who survived that ordeal and is fighting to expose the details of the "Mansion Incident" to the world two months after escaping from that nightmare. Unfortunately the Umbrella Corporation - the pharmaceutical company responsible for the experiments - has extended its influence throughout Raccoon City, leaving Jill disillusioned and ready to skip town to bring the fight elsewhere.
Unfortunately for her, a viral outbreak has engulfed the city, turning its victims into legions of the undead and other monstrosities. While our heroine has experience dealing with these creatures - she isn't prepared for Umbrella's latest bio-weapon in "Nemesis" - a hulking and unstoppable killing machine that is programmed to wipe out any S.T.A.R.S members and survivors. With nowhere to hide and constantly on the run, Jill is determined to make her "Last Escape" from Raccoon City.
From first glance, the new Resident Evil 3 follows in the footsteps of the RE2 Remake - a fast-paced recreation of the same side story entry that takes place before and after the events of Leon and Claire's adventure. However things couldn't be further from the truth - this is a game that requires you to be on your toes all the time. Once you begin, you are treated to a little cute intro sequence courtesy of the RE Engine, before all hell brakes loose and you take control of Jill in the most "in your face" kind of opening act you'll ever play. You meet and literally learn firsthand that Nemesis is a force not to be underestimated with - and you'll need to learn fast as you enter into the world of Survival Horror with little tools to start at your disposal. The learning curve to play this game is similar to RE2 Remake, but some things have changed to make this a bit more action oriented especially when you take on enemies. For instance, you no longer have defensive weapons as a separate set of tools - they have to be managed and used wisely and they will no longer get you out being grabbed by your enemies.
On the plus side - Jill, as well as her ally Carlos Oliveira, get a "Dodge/ Push" button that helps escape from tricky encounters - ESPECIALLY against the Nemesis. Much like the original game, you'll be controlling Carlos in certain points in the game, and he is armed with an assault rifle and a great dodge and punch feature that'll be helpful against certain enemies. It's also best to point out that Nemesis isn't someone you'd want to face unless you want to risk it for some exclusive rewards he drops in cases if you successfully stun him. That beast can run, use tentacles to pull you in, and at certain situations USE WEAPONS like a Rocket Launcher to try and kill you. That's a farcry from running away from Mr. X in the last game... And that was Capcom's intention when they recreated this game - to make him more intimidating than ever.
As far as the length of the game goes, Resident Evil is surprisingly shorter than its predecessor - and it can be beaten on the Standard route in about 4-5 hours. It also lacks in extra content - with "The Mercenaries" being one of the glaring omissions to this game as it was the first to incorporate that minigame where you battle hordes of zombies and monsters with a given time limit and objective to complete. To kind of compensate for this, as well as try something new, Capcom made "RE Resistance" - an online multiplayer stand alone game that uses the RE Engine and has players taking control of either the "Mastermind" or one of the "Survivors". While I was apprehensive at first to play and I enjoyed the "Resident Evil Outbreak" series from the PS2 era, this mode was surprisingly fun, and feels like "Left 4 Dead" only with an RE2/ RE3 Remake style of gameplay.
While the extra modes are non-existent, that's not to say RE3 is lacking in stuff you can use in new playthroughts - a "Shop" opens up where you can buy more tools to assist you in "New Game+", as well as Jill's costume from the original RE1 as a purchasable item. For any Resident Evil fan, this is typical and you won't mind this too much as you're here to experience the story - but there were certain portions and events that didn't make the cut such as the worm and Clock Tower exploration, as well as eliminating the "Live Selection" feature which altered portions of the game and determined the ending of the original.
For a sample of how I experienced the game, here's my first playthrough of the RE3 Demo that came out on March 21st - a few weeks before the full game was released on April 3.
Rating - 4/5
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